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We kept our decent sized kiddie pool filled for 7 days- covered with a tarp and treated nightly with a couple tablespoons of bleach when they got out for the day. The bleach evaporates by the next use but helps keep slime from building up.

The most important thing is to test the water on a regular basis. As long as you keep the levels where they should be (see below) and keep it free from debris, you should be fine.

The water in a swimming pool needs to be kept at a pH level of between 7.2 to 7.6, a free chlorine level between one and three parts per million, and an alkalinity level between 80 and 120 parts per million. These are the three most important readings in a pool as they will affect the others' ability to function correctly.

If it's big enough, you need to get a pump. They make smaller ones for those giant inflatable ones. The little kiddie pool gets slimy after a day or two, so you might want to invest in a pump if it's hard to empty and refill after a day or two.

You can get a thing that floats on top of the water that you put a chlorine tablet in to keep it sanitized. Otherwise the walls & bottom will get slimy very fast in about 4 days in warm weather. They sell them at a pool store or Walmart.